New independent café Modern Standard Coffee opening in Edinburgh's Bruntsfield area

02 December 2020

A Scottish coffee entrepreneur is opening her first independent café in Edinburgh.

Modern Standard Coffee will be opening in Bruntsfield in early December.

Its founder, Lynsey Harley, set up the business with the aim of providing ethically sourced speciality coffee. The brand, which supplies coffee to the likes of Five Guys, Amazon HQ and Sainsbury’s, is one of the fastest growing speciality roasters in the UK.

Lynsey said: “It’s been a long-held dream of mine to return to Edinburgh, where I went to university and where I had my first job in a big brand coffee shop, and open my own café.

"When I left the city there was little or no coffee scene and then the industry just exploded. Ever since that first job my passion has been for coffee.

"I have been lucky enough to travel the world discovering and buying great coffee so I am very excited to be able to bring, what I think is, the very best coffee in the world to my old home-town. With our roastery based in Glenrothes, the beans don’t have too far to travel either.”

The new café is based in 49 Barclay Place overlooking Bruntsfield Links, and is currently being renovated ahead of its opening.

“Adding some Danish design to Scottish architecture will make for a wonderful combination of old and new," said Lynsey.

"Our customers can expect a comfortable light filled space to relax and enjoy a bit of hygge. Opening with pandemic restrictions in place means that the café has been carefully designed to account for the welfare, safety and comfort of our guests."